Building block or tile



I. A. LANNERT. BUILDING LocK oR TILE. APPLICATION FILED 0CT.26,19I7.

Patented Jan, 18, 1921.

JOHN A. LANNERT, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

BUILDING BLOCK OR TILE.

` sommation of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

Application filed October 26, 1917. Serial No. 198,583.

T 0 all whom t may concern@ Be it known that I, Jol-1N A. LA-NNnR'r, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Building Blocks or Tiles, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the iiivention being herein explained and the best Inode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions. v

The present improvements, relating as indicated to building blocks or tile, lhave more especial regard to a form of building tile designed for the construction of houses and like structures, which will present an attractive appearance, and yet be comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. Most of the forms of building tile that have heretofore come into general use are those employed in the construction of plaster or stucco houses, where a coating of plaster or cement is applied to both sides of the wall, brick sometimes being used to face the exterior. The object of the present invention is to provide a block or tile, which will itself constitute the exterior face of the wall, and at the same time be adapted to receive a coat of plaster or cement on its interior face. A'further. object is to provide a block or tile that, while cheap to produce and easy to lay, canv nevertheless be interlocked so as to render the 4walll strong and abundantly able to carry the joists. My present improved construction of tile, moreover, is adapted to be laid over a door or window after the fashion of an arch; furthermore,` the` interior structure of the block or tile is such that not only is it reinforced and strengthened by appropriate partitions, but the latter are so arranged as to insure the draining to the outside wall of any waterthat may get into the interior of the tile.`

To the accomplishmentl of the foregoing and related objects, the invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed 'out in the claims, the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed vmeans constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of they invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing Figure l is a broken side elevation of a section of wall constructed of my improved blocks or tile; Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same taken on the plane indicated by the line 2 2, Fig. l: Fig. is a longitudinal section of such wall taken on the plane indicated by the line 3-3, FigZ; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a specially molded corner block designed for use in conjunction with my tile; Fig. 5 is a perspectiveI view of a specially molded intermediate block which serves to. join successive tile in the same course together; Fig. 6 is a perspective view, partly in section, of my improved tile with a modified forni of such last mentioned block, such as will be used at the end of a course, not the corner of the building; Fig. is an elevation of a doorway orlike opening, as formed out of my improved tile;v and Fig. S is an end view of a special form of block showing the manner in which a joist or like timber is supported in a wall constructed of my irnproved building tile.

The tile or building block l, which constitutes the principal element used in the construction of a wall. embodying my invention is of elongated rectangular form, provided on its outer surface with longitudinally extending, c. horizontal, grooves 2 about one-half inch `deep and one-half inch high, to repr sent a raked out mortar joint, and on its inner surface with small grooves or scratches to assist the plaster to stick. The top face of each tile is pro- .vided with a central longitudinal rib t, preferably of the V-cross-section shown, and the bottom with a corresponding groove 5 into which such rib vwill fit and thus align the top tile with the one beneath. In addition each tile is provided on its top and bottom faces with two shallow grooves 6, one on each side, of the aforesaid rib or groove as the case may be, which shallow grooves provide a space for the introduction of a mortar layer, as clearly shown in F ig. 2, that serves to cement the successive courses together.

Interiorly the tile is provided with longitudinally extending partitions, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3,' one (7) vertically disposed, and the other (8) transversely, the portion of the transverse partition lying between the 1in outer face so as to assist in draining any water that might collect above this partition toward such outer face rather than inwardl It will be obvious that a tile of the con-` struction just described can be extruded in the usual manner, with all of the grooves, ribs, and interior reinforcing partitions complete. The length of the tile may be varied to suit building operations of different kinds, as also to modify the ornamental effect produced by the grooves 2 on the outer faces of the tiles.

For use in `conjunction with the tile just described, I employ reinforcing blocks of various kinds, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. The one shown in Fig. 5 is in effect a rectangular plate l0 with external grooves ll similar to those found on the tile, and in addition with projections l2 on its two flat faces adapted to be inserted into the juxtaposed properly spaced ends of two alined tile in the same course. These projections are interrupted as at i3 to receive the partitions 7 and 8 of the tile. There is also a shoulder 14 in connection with each such projection that forms a stop, and thereby leaves a space for mortar to be inserted between the tile and block. rFhe effect of assembling together the tile and intermediate blocks, as shown in Fig. l, is to present a wall not only with horizontal grooves simulating raked out mortar joints, but also with similar vertical intersecting grooves that impart a pleasing appearance to the structure.

In the case of the corners of the building, a modified form of block l5, in' all essentials, however, similar to that just described, is employed. Such a corner block, as illustrated in Fig. Il, is of general cubical form, having on two adjacent faces interrupted projections l@ and shoulders 17 similar to those on the opposed faces of the block just described, and adapted to interfit with the adjacent tile in the same fashion.

Likewise, for the end of a course as at a door or other opening, a block 20 is employed similar in all respects to that used between successive tile in the course, but with the face that is designed to be exposed formed with this in view instead of with the projection and shoulder of the regular block. Thus, as illustrated in Fig. 6, such end block has that portion 2l of its exposed face which will be covered by the door or window frame left smooth, the remainder being grooved to correspond with the external faces of the tile proper.

A modification introduced in the form of the tile, where the latter is'used to put an arch over a door or Window, is shown in Fig. 7 In other words, a buttress bloclr 22 is placed in the proper course on each side of the opening, whether for door or Window,

such block having its face which is disposed toward the opening in question, formed on an angle, and provided with projections similar to those on blocks l0. Two specially formed tile 23 adapted to interfit with this buttress and an intermediate key block 2l complete the arch, as will be readily understood. Preferably the outer faces of these buttress and key blocks, as well as of the special tile that go with them, will be left smooth instead of being grooved as in the case of the tile used in the body of the wall.

rlhe manner in which joists or other timbers are supported in a wall constructed of my improved tile is clearly shown in Fi S. ln other words, in the course that lies in the plane of such joists, the intermediate blocks 25, instead of being of general square outline, as shown in Fig. 5 for example, have one corner cut off so as to leave an angular recess 26 in the assembled condition of the parts adapted to receive the corresponding end of the joist 27, which is stepped into such recess.

ln utilizing the foregoing described tile and special blocks in actual building operations, the course will be started at a corner with one of the blocks l5 illustrated in Fig. il. After such block is set in place mortar will be applied to the projections on its two adjoining faces, and tiles l fitted in pla i over such projections. An intermediate block l0, of the sort illustrated in Fig. 5, is then placed in the open end of each such tile, mortar having first been properly applied to the projections on the respective faces of such block, and the course then continued with successive tile and blocks until either the next corner is reached, or if a door or window opening intervenes, the last tile is closed with an end bleek 20 of the sort illustrated in. Fig. 6. Successive courses are built up in the same fashion.

lt will be understood that while my iinproved tile will preferably be made of clay, which may be either glazed or unglazed in the burning, such tile may also be made of cement. This is particularly true of the blocks l0, l5 and 20, which, for the purpose of varying the ornamental scheme or for veheapness of manufacture, may be molded out of cement. The blocks, whether for corner, intermediate, or terminal use, are prefably re-pressed in a power press, whatever the material. Also it will be understood that these blocks may be fitted into tile in advance of their assembly at the site of the building; particularly where the blocks are made of clay they may be appropriately fitted into tile while still plastic and fired together, thereby rendering it necessary to use mortar at only one end of each tile.

My improved form of tile, it will be seen. is easy to lay, cheap to produce, and forms a complete wall of a pleasing exterior, the

ornamental character of which may be modified in various ways, while the inside of the wall is ready for the plaster without the use of lath of any kind. At the same time the wall is abundantly strong for ordinary buildings, such as houses, providing a convenient support for the oists and readily adapted to have doors and windows formed therein.

It will be obvious also that the several different forms of interlocking blocks illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, may be utilized in connection with ordinary hollow building tile such as are at present manufactured in considerable quantities. These are like my improved tile in their `general form, being substantially square in crosssection and of various lengths, and with all four exterior surfaces perfectly smooth, usually glazed. It will be evident that by the use of blocks such as those just referred to with tile of this sort, a much superior construction of wall is obtainable than where they are laid, as is the present practice, one directly abutting the other in the course; for not only will they be locked together at their meeting ends, thus strengthening the wall, but the interior dead air space will be subdivided, and the heat insulating character of the Wall increased.

It should also be noted that in the case of a narrow door, window or other opening in the wall, it may not be necessary to employ the two specially formed tile 23 at all, but will suffice to use two buttress blocks 22, in conjunction with a sin le tile bridging the opening, as will be rea ily understood.

It should be explained in conclusion that mortar for joining successive courses may be applied b machine to the horizontal grooves 6 in t e up er exposed faces of the last course laid, suc strip or narrow layer of mortar being thick enough to fill the space in the grooves 6 on the under side of the superimposed course.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the construction herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the fol owing claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particuarly point out and distinctly claim as my invention l. In a wall structure, the combination of a plurality of hollow blocks arranged in superposed courses with the voids of said blocks extending horizontally and in line with the courses, solid column blocks disposed between adjacent ends of said hollow blocks, said column blocks having two series of lateral projections entering the voids of the adjacent hollow blocks, such projections being integrally joined with one hollow block and removably intertted with the other, and the column blocks in the several courses lying one above the other and being supported upon each other so as to form a series of spaced solid columns in the wall structure.

2. A building element comprising ahollow block having a void extending from end to end thereof and a solid block disposed transversely across one open end of said hollow block, said solid block being provided with projections on opposite faces, one projection being integrally joined in the void in said hollow block and the other projection being adapted to removably engage in the void of'a similar hollow block when alined with said first blocks.

Signed by me, this 23rd day of October,

JOHN A. LANNERT. 

